Film take-up



March 14, 1944. a. A. DE-L v/ .1 |..r-:

FILM TAKE-UP Filed Oct. 31, 1941 Guillermo H. del 8111 l 7 I I (Ittomeg Patented Mar. 14 1944 FILM TAKE-UP Guillermo Adalberto del assignor to Radio '00 Valle, Indianapolis, Ind., rporatlon of America, a

corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1941, Serial Not-117,388

This invention relates to a takeup device for taking up film in motion picture apparatus and which is particularly'adapted to takingupthe type of non-inflammable film used in 16 mm. mo-

Y tion picture projectors. The apparatus provides an automatic increase inthe torque applied to the'" 2 Claims. (01. 242 -s5) arm 18 on which there is pivoted a second arm I4 bymeans of the screw l5. The shaft from the reduction gear connected to the motor is indicated at Hand, passing through the member l2,

film reel asthe diameter of the roll of film thereon increases seas to maintain the tension on the film uniform and it also provides a positive drive for rewinding film, both of these features being included in a relatively compact and simple'construction.

The film reel is carried on a driving shaft which is supported by hearings in a movable arm and the shaft carries a driven -member which for movement of the arm is caused to engage a driving member through a friction clutch. Movement of the arm is accomplished by the weight of the film on the reel and the torque applied to the reel is accordingh' varied in accordance with the weight of the-film thereon. One object of the invention is to provide an improved film takeup.

Another object of the invention is to provide a film takeup which will apply substantially uniform tension to the film regardless of the quantity of film on the real.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact and simple motor driven film takeup. Another object of the invention is to provide a film takeup which is frictionally driven for' taking up film during the operation of a motion picture apparatus but which is positively driven for rewlnding the film. I a x Other and incidental objects of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a. reading of the following specification and an inspection of the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the film takeup,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the takeup drive mechanism and the supporting arm, and

Figure 3 is a view partly in section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1, an appropriate motor preferably of the series type is indicated at i0 and is supported on the bracket l which may be mounted on an appropriate portion of the motion picture apparatus. The motor l0 carries at-its outer end a casing 12 which encloses an appropriate reduction gear and serves to support the remainder of the takeup drive mechanism as shown in more detail in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the member l2 carries an supports the casing I! which is provided with an appropriate cover l8. Within this cover l8 thereis loosely carried a ring or belt of oiled "or greased felt or other equivalent material .l9 which may nearly but not quite fill the space between the cover I! and the periphery of the driven member 20.

The member is carried on the shaft 2| running in the bearings 23 in the arm H. The

member 20, the shaft 2| and the arm is are, therefore, movable vertically as a unit in relation to the casing l'l.

When a'film take-up reel is placed on the shaft I 2| and the film connected thereto, the weight of the reel, the arm l4 and the member 20 presses the member 20 down into contact with the lubricated member l9. When the motor Ill is then operated in the take-up direction, the film is taken up on the reel under the torque produced by the friction between the member i9 and the member 20 or between the casing l1 and the member is, whichever slips the more readily. Ordinarily, slippage will occur between the member l9 and the member 20. As film is wound onto the take-up reel, the weight of the movable portion of the apparatus is increased by the weight of the film, and' the downward pressure of the member 20 against the lubricated felt is is increased by a corresponding amount, thereby increasing the torque as the weight of film on reel is increased and maintaining the tension on the film effectively constant.

In .rewinding the film, the motor is operated in the opposite direction from that used in taking up film on the reel, as indicated in Figure l. The take-up does not operate through the clutch l9 but through an independent over-running clutch.

The casing H is provided with a driving pin 24 which extends into ah appropriate slot in a member 30 which runs on a collar 3| formed in the member 20. The member 30 is provided with an appropriately shaped notch 26 enclosing a the shaft 2| to be positively driven through the pin 24.

to the let-oi! reel which was driven rorthe purpose of re-winding. In 35 mm. theatre projectors,

re-winding is always performed in separate re- ,winding machine. In present day 16 mm. proiectors, after the exhibition one. reelor film, the

vfull. reel is customarily placedon the upper or letoir reel spindle which may beprovided with a light brake, and the film is then re-wound onto an empty reel placed on the take-up reel spindle which for' this purpose must be driven in the opposite direction to that inwhich it-was driven for taking up him through the projector. This is necessary in order that the him may be woundonto the reel in the proper direction to be again run through the machine. In this re-winding operation, the driven reel may be run at a conslderably'higher speed than in the ordinary takeup operation.

This procedure avoids the weight and complication or driving mechanism for the upper reel.

I claim as my invention:

a 1. Film take-up mechanism including a driving member, a round casing carried by said driving member, annular friction coupling means within said casing, a circular driven member within said annular means and coupled thereby to said casing, film reel carrying means driven by said driven means, and an overrunning clutch additionally coupling said casing and said circular driven member.

2. Film'take-up mechanism including a driving member, a round casing carried by said driving member, annular friction coupling means within said casing, a circular driven member within said annular means and coupled thereby to said casing, film reel carrying means driven by said driven means, means supporting said driven member and reel carrying means for vertical movement in response .to' the weight 01' the film, and an overrunning clutch additionally coupling said casing and said circular driven member.

GUILLERMO A. DEL VALLE'. 

